From: Steven Thomas
Subject: New Year’s Day Greeting
Date: January 01, 2019 11:32 a.m.
To: Dr. Valerie Thomas
(CLT): 10 min 29.50 sec
Dear Sweet Val,
Happy New Year, Babe. Got to bed late last night with all of those revelers making noise outside my window. Hope you were able to sleep in this morning. Well, I gotta tell ya, after that last extraction, I’ve come to the stone cold realization, I’m gettin’ too old for this shit. (Since Mike’s recue, everyone on the mission and in Mission Support knows what business he’s in, so the emails no longer need to be guarded.) I came so close to catching live fire, this time, it really got me thinking about my mortality and how death hounds us in this business. Why the hell am I still doing this? It’s not like we need the money. In fact, if we lived on Mars, we wouldn’t need money at all, for a few years at least. I mean, with all those diamonds to be mined… Ha! We could bank it till we’re ready for a vacation back on Earth. What do you think the chances are they’ll let me come up there and join ya? That is, if you have any interest in staying there, anymore. In the past couple of months, you have mentioned staying on Mars, and I was wondering if you’re still considering that?
Cause, the more I think about what you said, the more I like the idea. How about bringing it up to the powers-that-be and seeing what their reaction is? Tell them I’ll work for room & board and a dollar a day, just like a sheriff in the good ole days of the bad ole west. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? Maybe I can pin on one of those tin stars, although I probably won’t get to carry a gun. In that airtight environment, it wouldn’t be a very good idea. Maybe a taser… yeah, that’ll do it. Mostly non-lethal, but it’ll sure knock ’em on their ass. Zzzzzzttt
But seriously, neither of us has any family left, here on Earth. I really would be willing to move to Mars, to be with you, even if we had to give up everything else we own. Having material goods can’t compare to the thrill of holding you close. I love you that much.
Missing you so much more than you’ll ever know, Steve
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